I am pleased to be here today to provide context to
the decisions that Council will be asked to make this Wednesday, relating to
the Raleigh Street level grade through pass in East St. Paul (ESP).

The Province of Manitoba’s construction of the
101/59 interchange (completion of the Perimeter Hwy @ 59) is the catalyst for
the through pass @ Raleigh & Perimeter. ESP and our direct neighbors in St Clements and
Springfield (Oakbank), utilize the two main roadways in and out of Winnipeg;
Hwy 59 and Henderson Hwy.

ESP’s long range transportation plans contemplate a
3rd north/south route along Raleigh Street, with a high level estimate
identified as $20M. Having an opportunity to accomplish the same for
$3M was an opportunity ESP could simply not ignore.

The Province of MB provided ESP with
an exceptional opportunity to develop a new north/south transportation route
between ESP and the City of Winnipeg. They had the foresight and
understanding of the importance of this transportation link and subsequently
made the offer to ESP. The opportunity the construction project
offered in terms of timing and cost was significant. The Province of MB saw this as an
opportunity for the capital region – they saw the greater picture.

When ESP Council was approached in
November 2014, we had 11 days to decide if we wanted to provide the Province of
MB with a statement of agreement in
principle around the concept of a two lane through pass. Given the considerable benefits to our community
and others – as well as the significant cost savings this option represents
when compared to other options for improved access – Council held a special
meeting on the matter and voted unanimously to issue the statement of agreement in principle.

The day after ESP Council passed the resolution, November
27, 2014, I met with Councillor Browaty and advised him of the resolution and
why we proceeded. On January 6, 2015 a letter was sent to Mayor
Bowman outlining the info on the through pass resolution. On February 6, 2015, Mayor Bowman’s office
responded to my letter suggesting I meet with Councillor Lukes, chair of the
infrastructure renewal and public works committee, to discuss the Province of
MB’s project which directly affects both ESP and the City of Winnipeg. Councillor Lukes and I met and discussed the matter
on March 9, 2015.

This is not an ESP vs the City of Winnipeg
issue. This transportation link will
benefit both of us as well as other municipalities in the area. The City of Winnipeg’s vacant land is limited – and
this will translate into more development outside the Perimeter into the
Capital Region. If
traffic projections are reasonable in the long term, and based on the
Conference Board of Canada’s projections, how is the City of Winnipeg going to
accommodate Regional growth?

In
the north east region, the two main routes are Henderson Hwy, and Lagimodiere
Blvd. Building
the Raleigh Street through pass will in fact reduce traffic volumes on
Lagimodiere Blvd and Henderson Hwy, offering another north/south route for
the capital region. If
the Raleigh Street vehicle through pass was operational three years from today,
traffic volumes are estimated at 2,000 – 3,000 vehicles per day. This estimate was provided to us by Stantec
Engineering.

Today
I would ask this Committee to reconsider the wording of their second
recommendation – to one which reflects a willingness to work in collaboration
with ESP, determining if and when vehicle traffic can be contemplated by both
municipalities. This
was never a roadway which was going to be built by ESP without consultation
with the City of Winnipeg. ESP
simply provided the Province of MB with a statement
of agreement in principle so that the infrastructure to accommodate a
roadway would be built in conjunction with the 101/59 interchange project.

We
are neighbors and we face many of the same challenges. Our residents expect us to work together in
the best interests of all member municipalities in the capital region.

That the Public Service be authorized to plan for accommodation of cyclists,
pedestrians and
required emergency vehicles entering the City of Winnipeg from the Rural Municipality
of East St. Paul via a properly controlled through-pass constructed beneath PTH
101 (North Perimeter Highway) in the vicinity of the Raleigh Street alignment;
and

That Council not support accommodation of general traffic entering the City of
Winnipeg from
the Rural Municipality of East St. Paul via a through-pass constructed beneath
PTH 101
(North Perimeter Highway) in the vicinity of the Raleigh Street alignment at
this time.

Stay Up To Date

Register with us to stay up to date with all the latest news and events in the RM of East St. Paul.